Our Daily Bread

My Dad at this time of starting this was 80 years old. His 80th birthday was on the 19th March 2017 and we threw him a party and it was the first party I have known of him to have.  My Dad does't like to be the center of attention.

Just today (early 2017) I came to realise and see, that God is answering and unfolding my prayer for him.

My prayer for my Dad has been, Lord, please do not take him until he has come to Salvation in Jesus. Please show him your love in Jesus, speak to him, reveal Jesus to him.

My Dad grew up in Finland until he was about 14 years, and part of his upbringing was going to a Lutheran Church. From the age of 14, for a few years, he was living with his half sister, who was a minister, with her husband, in the Salvation Army, in country Perth.

My Dad has definitely had some strong Christian influences.  At my Dad's one day, we were looking at photos of Helsinki and we noticed a church. My Dad said he remembered that church clearly as that was where he had his confirmation. I had not thought of my Dad doing anything like that so I was surprised. I didn't talk too much about it as I know I need to move gently with my Dad. He will not be pushed into something that he doesn't want to do or talk about.  I only suggest things, which I think is not a bad way to be anyhow, and I have learn't this with my Dad.

Praying

Following on from my prayer that I have with the Lord regarding my Dad, I have explained in another post, the day that I felt something when I hugged him goodbye, a prompting in my spirit that something was wrong.  After I left, I sat in my car around the corner from his house praying for him and his protection, for the Lord not to take him until he has said YES to him.  A few weeks later I get a message that my Dad has had a heart attack. I had warned my sister that something was wrong and therefor she was keeping an extra eye on him. He ended up in hospital, having an operation as he had a blockage in an artery and had 3 stents put in.

That was a few years ago.

This year (2017) when I went to Perth, the day before I was leaving to come home to the Gold Coast, around the 6th April, I felt to give my Dad a little 'My Daily Bread' devotional.  I had been reading it myself and found this one, although old, very encouraging.  My Dad was coming to have lunch on the Tuesday and I was flying out on the Wednesday. On Monday night I had this quick thought come to my heart, 'give my Dad the devotional'. I was so excited to do that, and that was unusual as my Dad is usually so resistant to anything like that. But I felt it was a leading from the Lord, that there was grace on it.  My Dad had been recently reading 'Antiquties of the Jews' by Josephus, which I had also recently given him.

On the Tuesday, my Dad came for lunch and as he was leaving I walked him to the car and I showed him the book. I said "Dad, I know how you like reading so I am going to give you a 30 day challenge".  He laughed and said 'what is it'. I asked him to read this devotional for 30 days, just a little page each day, and after 30 days he can do what he feels to do with the book, keep reading or give it back to my Mum. So my Dad was happy to do that. I felt very happy and excited that he took it and very brave. My Dad is not scary at all but I love him so much, that I would not like there to be any confrontation with him.

Returning to QLD I rang him and he said he was reading a few books and he named the little devotional I gave him as one.  I was so happy, and have been praying for the Lord to speak to him and open his eyes and reveal Jesus and how much he loves him.

I had been reading a book about destiny and I was encouraged to write down some things I had received from God for my family.

So, with my Dad I wrote down a recent dream which I had of him before I found out he was reading the devotional.

Dream

I was sitting across from my Dad at a table. I was watching my Dad and then he started singing, breaking out into a song of worship to God. I was watching and listening and I was stunned and said, Dad, that is so beautiful. His voice sounded amazing. His voice sounded amazing as he was singing praises to Jesus and I was saying, Dad, that sounds so beautiful, that sounds so beautiful.

Dream ended.

The background to this and what is amazing is I have never heard my Dad sing. He was told as a young boy that he couldn't sing and the teacher would tell the class to get ready to sing 'except you Paul'. I never forgot him telling me that. So seeing my Dad sing in this dream and that it sounded amazing was so encouraging to me. Firstly, he was worshipping, and secondly, when we sing to Jesus, no matter what level of competency we have in singing, to God it sounds simply amazing, and spiritually, it sounds amazing. Also my Dad described himself as agnostic. So for my Dad to be singing in a dream praises to God I knew God was showing me something. I knew that it was a God dream.

So I started to write this with the intention that I am going to pray and remind myself of these things which the Lord has shown me.  I then went to ask the Lord about another member of my family. As I did I turned to another book I have that I write in. As I turned to it I was stunned at the last thing I had written in it, which I had completely forgotten about (but God hadn't).

7th February 2017.

Dream:

I was with my Dad and others. We were standing around a table and there were some devotionals on them - old Christian such as Spurgon and others.  My Dad took one, I took another and so did the others with me.  We all then went back to our homes with our books.  There were 2 ways to go back. Myself and the other two people went via a park or garden. We walked along the path to where we were going.

My Dad took a different way.  There was a big pond or lake - it went from where the table was on one side to my Dad's house at the other side. I watched as my Dad walked across the water on a board going toward home. I saw him walking carefully along the boards and I saw his thick ankles, thick because of the arthritis. He finally made it to the other side and I watched as he was opening the from door to his house. He still had the book in his had and as he turned waved at me with the hand holding the book, he gave me a big smile and he closed the door.  Dream ended.

In my diary I wrote:

As I am writing, just now I was reminded of Peter who went out of the water to Jesus. My Dad was walking on water but with the use of a board which I am sensing is trust. He doesn't trust the way of going to Christ, the faith that says, Lord, I'm walking on water to You and if I keep my eyes on You I can do anything. I can do it and come to You. He was interested though, and he definitely was stepping out there.

Father, I pray that as You know my Dad, you know how to spark his interest and his heart toward You.  Father, to trust you. Jesus, in Your name I declare Your praise and give thanks for my Dad and His salvation, You know Him. Father, help my Dad be like Peter, to walk on water to come to You, Jesus. My Dad, My Dad.  Lord, In Jesus name, in authority in the Lord I command every devil and blinding spirit to take their hands off my Dad.

Eyes be opened

Eyes be opened

Jesus, I pray and ask for that new heart for my Dad. That which is salvation, so that he has relationship with You God.

Father, that thing that my Dad has to read to help him please get it into his hands.

Thank you Jesus, Thank You.  Hope Hope Hope  (Biblical Hope)

When I saw all of this today, I was brought to tears. That last day in Perth saying goodbye to my Dad, I gave him the books that God intended to get into his hands.  God used me to give it to him. That my prayer unfolded before my eyes.  That my Dad is going to say, like Peter, when Jesus asks him 'who do you say that I AM', that my Dad is going to respond, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God".

I am still keeping this all in prayer, but I am so encouraged, as I today, even though I had completely forgotten this dream and prayer I wrote in February, in March I gave him the book that he needs.

Lord, come have Your way in my Dad.

So, if you are praying for loved ones, don't give up. Continue to do so. Don't give up.

The above is the outworking on my prayers and promptings from the Lord.

I am sure there will be your testimonies to give the Lord glory.

He hears your prayers. He loves your family. He answers.

God bless you.

** Update, my Dad became sick shortly after receiving the devotional and me starting to write this. I will update he story soon.  All I know is that my Dad went home to the Lord and Jesus saved him.

Answers

God's love is so beautiful.

For many reasons, one being because He is God and I can trust Him and rest in Him.

The last few day's I've been asking Him for an answer to a question I had. I love the various ways that God answers.....

Yesterday I felt to go through a small pile of books I have, but not yet read, one being on the book of Joshua. I had picked this book up from Lifeline and it was around the time I was about to start my daily chronologically reading through the bible. I'm now at day 65. I had actually forgotten that I had picked this book up.

After reading the first chapter this morning, I happened to flick further on and open to the 2nd last chapter. On the 3rd page there is a scripture underlined. It was very much highlighted in various ways (like a beacon) with a red pen, and this scripture was the very answer to the question I had been asking God about. This marking, the only one in 4 pages.

I was really pleased as it was God showing me that He hears and knows.  It's in the details!

Reoccuring Dream - The Hair

When I was a child I would have a reoccurring dream.  It would come intermittently, maybe every year or two.  I would like to share how God worked my life to deliver me of this dream.

 

The Dream was short and quite simple:

It was me with a single long piece of hair hanging out of my mouth.  I would pull on this strand of hair and I would see myself chocking trying to get it out.  But it was tied to my insides - right down through to the inside of my intestines.  So I would leave this hair there as I was too scared to pull it too hard in case it brought up my insides.

 

The dream started when I was about 9 years old.

 

The dream was always the same.

 

If you read my Salvation posts, you will be aware that I came to the Lord in 1997.  At the time I was still with my boyfriend but he was overseas for a couple of months.  It was an interesting time as I knew God was calling me.  He was placing questions in my thoughts about my life and where I was going.  I gave my life to the Lord and was going to church weekly.

 

My boyfriend returned and one night I had the dream again.  I was 29 years old.

 

I woke thinking about the odd connection that my boyfriend returns and I have this dream of the hair hanging out of my mouth and I am pulling on it, it is tied to my insides and I was too scared to pull it out as it would bring up all my guts.

 

As the story goes, I leave the boyfriend and start walking this life with Jesus.

 

In the year 2000 I am working at an office in Sydney and I really am enjoying this job.  There is a guy there that seems to be taking an interest in me.  I am not sure his intentions but I am viewing him as a friend and to encourage in the Lord as he seemed open to the things of God.

 

Then one night I have a dream - it is to do with the hair but it is different.

 

The dream:

I am at work and talking to this guy.  As I am speaking to him I take a hold of that one piece of hair and as I am talking to him I start to pull on the hair and it starts to come out of me.  I am pulling and pulling as this hair is really long. It starts to come out as a matted ball of hair and I am still pulling and this fur ball of long matted hair is being pulled out of my guts.  I am coughing and chocking but I keep pulling on it whilst I am in front of this guy and then all of a sudden the hair is completely out.  I look at it and it is a long piece of a matted ball of mess that had been attached to this one piece of hair that had been hanging out of my mouth in my dreams since I was 9 years old.

 

I was now 32 years old.

 

When I woke, I thought 'that was strange'.  But somehow I knew their was a link to me talking to this guy and my deliverance - so I wrote the dream down and put it on the shelf (so to say).

 

So relationally this guy would come and chat to my every day. He would bring me a coffee or a chocolate and we seemed to get on OK.  I invited him to church and he came a couple of times but I was keeping him at a distance from my heart as I knew that he wasn't necessarily saved. I didn't know it but he was looking for an Australian wife.

 

I didn't realise it but as I was viewing this as a friendship, the office, as he was visiting me daily at my desk was talking and thinking we were developing a relationship.  I would tell people we are only friends.

 

One evening I was invited to the CEO's house with all the managers, this guy being one of them, and I was invited to.  I drove myself there.  During the evening they were joking and gossiping about two people in the office that seemed to be spending some time together.  Without thinking about it too much I said, 'maybe they are just friends, girls and guys can be friends'.

 

I spoke this as a truth as I have had male friends and even when they found girlfriend's I was still one of the friends.  The girls were wary of me at first but then they realised I was no threat and they were also my friends.  I respected my male friends very much and enjoyed the aspect of brother and sister hood with them, and it was safe because I knew there were boundaries.

 

So back to this evening at the boss's house.  When I spoke those words, 'that maybe they are friends and girls and guys can be friends', this guy who I had a friendship with and who was in my dream, got up and went outside and took his phone with him phoning someone.  I noticed that there was a change but didn't pay too much notice.

 

The next day - there was nothing. No visit, no talking, no nothing.  He ignored me.  He REJECTED me.  It was a complete cutting off.  I thought this is strange, what have I done, what has changed, and I had a slight sense that it was to do with my comment the previous evening.  But I guess I was surprised at the complete nothingness now in speaking with him.  He would literally walk past me like I was invisible.

 

I let it be but at that point I was not fully understanding that the Lord was using this to help deliver me.

 

A day or so later I was quite distraught.  I was walking to work one day and I was crying and crying and I was so distraught that I couldn't go to work.  I called in sick but I new that I needed to see someone.  I knew there was a lady from church who would be home so I drove to her place.  I was crying so hard and when I got to her back door, her large dog was sitting there.  When it saw me the dog started howling in distress and I knew that it was because I was in such a state.

 

I went into the house and was crying and she was hugging me - I still didn't realise or understand what was going on.  Then she said 'who has broken your heart'.. at that point I stopped a little and said no one, as no one really had, but again this was rejection speaking and God revealing things to me.

 

We chatted and the memory here is vague and I may have explained what happened at work.  I went home and went to the work the next day.  I may have started to think about the hair dream and that this guy situation was going to help me.

 

My next memory was a few days later, I was praying as I was walking to work and I said, 'I feel like there is something in my belly that needs to come out.  There is something there'.  I still hadn't put two and two together properly but what needed to come out was this big ball of mess that had affected me since I was a little girl.

 

So I spoke to my home group leaders and told them what I was feeling and I felt to fast for a few days pending their coming over to pray for me that weekend.

 

They arrived and Steve spoke with me and asked me about the male authorities in my life and friendships and let down's that I had by males in my life.  We spoke about my dad, my first boyfriend and a few other things.  Then we prayed.  As we prayed I was bent over and it was like I was coughing up something.... deliverance was taking place - this fur ball of emotion and rejection was being released.

 

At the end I felt such peace.  Steve and Sarka stopped praying and spoke peace and blessings over me in the name of Jesus.  I was so peaceful I wanted to lay down and go to sleep.  So I lay on the couch, they covered me with a blanket and they left me to rest.

 

Since then I have never had that dream again and it was the start of a major healing process in my life.  I know I was delivered but there was also a renewing of the mind that needed to take place as the enemy would try to bring rejection on me but I knew that it would have no hold especially as I would stand upon the word and learn more about who I was in Christ.

 

I love how God showed me in a dream how he was going to bring freedom to me.

 

I am forever grateful that he speaks to me in dream's and vision's  - I love all aspects of God's love, guidance and gifts which are for the body and for those to be saved. 

 

God is good!

 

 

 

Prayer and Words, and the power of words.

Had interesting time this morning: I woke at about 4:30am to the sound of someone trying to start their car. Although the engine was trying to turn over, it sounded like it wasn't budging. I listened for a while and then thought, I will pray for them and their car, as I cared for them not to be late. So I did, but it was a silent prayer. Then again, not starting, the thought came regarding speaking the word 'out loud' - so 'out loud' I prayed for the car to start and within 2 seconds of me speaking out this prayer, the car started. I thought, great, thanks Lord. Then I thought, I am going to ask for a dream. I hadn't had one all night, where as recently I had been having 1, 2, sometimes 3 a night - often in themes over days. So, there was only an hour or so of sleep available, so 'out loud' I said, Lord, please give me a dream regarding a specific thing. And He did.

I have also recently received a prayer book, it is just full scripture to pray for specific things. And, I am loving the praying out loud of scripture and enjoyed encouraging my sister to do so when she could.

There are times when I know that I have answered prayer, just from a thought, and I have said to myself, wow, I only thought it and it's happened, thank you God. But I was also reminded and encouraged today regarding the power of a spoken word.

Hence, the words we speak in everyday life are precious. Precious words over our loved ones, our circumstances and situations and the life, circumstances and situations of others.
.......................................
Ex from an article:
Prayer takes many forms:
One form is words… …..Words filled with power …..Words that create …..Words that bring about change …..Words spoken by God or inspired by God …..God-inspired words coming from a deep place out of you and me!
The New Testament is rich with examples of Jesus speaking with power…and things changing because of His words.
Jesus is making the point that words are so much more powerful that we have ever realized. They are a power source that has almost been overlooked.
We are given the opportunity and privilege to speak out words of power and life in the Spirit of Prayer….
• to speak out words that originated in the heart of God and carry his life-force in them.
• to speak light into the darkness, to speak order in the chaos.
....................................
Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
May we use our words wisely.
And, Lord, forgive me where my words have been careless.

Prompted to pray in tongues

In the year 2000 approximately, a girl from church asked if I wanted to share a flat.  I was newly saved, about a year, and she a little longer.  I didn't know her very well, and she was being obedient as she felt it was from the Lord to ask me.  I was living a fair distance from church at the time, so was considering the option.

I asked her when, and she said 2 weeks.  I said 2 weeks, I was thinking more in 2 months... but she said that time frame wouldn't do in her current circumstances, and so, within a short while we were flat hunting. We found a place in Ashfield, NSW.

The day we moved in she was all excited and walking up the front steps she told me that she got engaged last night. Initially I thought, 'oh great' - without the exclamation mark, as I knew I would have to find a new flat mate in about 9 months time.  But, after that initial moment, I was genuinely happy for her. Rejoicing with her all the way to her wedding day! (I was honoured to be asked to sign her marriage certificate).

In all, this strange duo, me 11 years older than her, were a great combo!!

We were blessed with many many hours of talking, sharing, encouraging.  We helped each other through the current season we were both in. She getting ready for marriage, me getting sorted in life after big changes :). I had so many self -esteem issues, and she really encouraged me.

Move ahead ... she got married, she fell pregnant.

One day, I was at home and I felt such a burden to go into my room, shut the door, and pray in tongues.  It was a real desperate, deep praying time.  I was there for quite a while, I was keeping a slight eye on the clock, but was remaining led by the Spirit.

During the praying I asked the Lord, "why am I praying like this?" and I had the thought of my ex-flat mate, and I said, I think [my friend] is having her baby!

After praying deeply, groanings, tongues, for quite a while, all of a sudden peace came.  I looked at the clock and felt to note the time, especially as I wanted an indication to know it was for my [friend].  I then went about my day.

Later that day I received a phone call from the husband of my [friend].  He said that he and his wife are the proud parents of a new baby boy.  I was so excited for them and I asked how it went.  He said that it was touch and go for a time, as the baby's head was too big for the birth process and at one point it looked like the baby would not get past the cervix as his head was stuck.  He explained that the Doctor and medical staff were working hard, trying to decided what process to take, but then all of a sudden his baby boy was finally born naturally, and that, although a stressful birth for mother and baby, they were both OK.  I asked, what time was he born?  The new dad said --:--

I was so surprised as that was exactly the time (to the minute) that I had made a special note to look at the clock, when I felt to stop praying in tongues, when the peace came.

I shared my story with the new Dad, what had been taking place that afternoon and the time I  recorded as to when the prayer specifically stopped.

He was encouraged, I was encouraged, and in all, with this new baby boy, everyone was rejoicing.

I felt blessed that the Lord would prompt me to pray for them at this crucial time of the birth.  I felt so honoured to be a part of it in this way. I was blessed that mother and baby were ok, and dad rejoicing.

The following is a exert from a Smith Wigglesworth writing regarding Tongues in Chapter 18 - book title - unknown?:

On this line I want to tell you about Willie Burton, who is laboring for God in the Belgium Congo. Brother Burton is a mighty man of God and is giving his life for the heathen in Africa. He took fever and went down to death. They said; "He has preached his last; what shall we do?" All their hopes seemed to be blighted, and there they stood, with broken hearts, wondering what was going to take place. They left him for dead; but, in a moment, without any signal, he stood right in the midst of them; and they could not understand it. The explanation he gave was this, that, when he came to himself, he realized a warmth going right through his body; and there wasn't one thing wrong with him. How did it come about? It was a mystery until he went to London and was telling the people how he was left for dead, and then was raised up. A lady came up and asked for a private conversation with him, and arranged a time. She asked, "Do you keep a diary?" He answered, "Yes." She told him, "It happened on a certain day that I went to pray; and as soon as I knelt, I had you on my mind. The Spirit of the Lord took hold of me and prayed through me in an unknown tongue. A vision came before me in which I saw you laid out helpless; and I cried out in the unknown tongue till I saw you rise up and go out of that room." She had kept a note of the time and when he turned to his diary he found that it was exactly the time when he was raised up. There are great possibilities as we yield to the Spirit and speak unto God in quiet hours in our bedrooms. God wants you to be filled with the Holy Ghost so that everything about you shall be charged with the dynamic of heaven.

The heart attack.

Back in early 2013 I was visiting my family in Perth.  It was my 2nd last day and I decided to visit my dad and spend a few hours with him before I left the next day.  My dad is 75.

When it was time to leave, my dad and I stood up and I hugged him.  There was an arrest in my spirit. It was like my stomach moved.  My immediate thought was 'is this the last time I am going to hug my dad?'

Dad walked me outside and as I drove off, this sense of 'something' was still very strong.  I took an extra long look at dad.  Then as I drove around the corner on my way home I started to pray.  My main prayer was, 'please Lord, don't take him until he knows you'  I prayed for his protection, health etc, as I really didn't know what I was sensing exactly, but it was a little alarming.

Back in Sydney I went about my day as usual, but the moment when I hugged him was still strong in my thoughts.  I had not told anyone about this.

Prayer for my Nana

At this time my Nana was 96 years old.  She was still in quite good spirit and health.  (2008)

The process.  The prayer / the Dream / Nana's excitement / the phone call.

The prayer:

One day in 2008 I was walking through my unit toward the kitchen, when I felt this strong sense to pray for my Nana.  It was quite an arrest of my spirit, so I sat on the couch and I said to the Lord, 'what do you want me to pray for' and the response I felt was, 'I want you to pray for her death'.

This was a bit strange, but I felt it was from the Lord.  Plus, she was 96 years old and her time would come one day.  So I sat and prayed for about 5 minutes.  The things I prayed for were along the line of: Lord take her peacefully / quietly and without pain and that she would get to do everything that she needed to do before she left this earth and went on to her Heavenly Father. I also prayed for her heart, for Jesus to deal with any issues that need to be dealt with.

The dream:

A week or so later I had a dream.  I was in a church and there were pew type seats and some people I knew from church, and then there was this young girl in a beautiful white dress standing in front of me - holding the sides of her dress open with a playful swing in her stance. I said to her 'Nana, you are here, you are here'.  In saying 'you are here', I knew it was heaven, and this young girl whom I somehow knew was my Nana, was in white, and she was youthful.  And I was joyed that she was in heaven.  As she was Catholic, the pews in the dream made sense.

The Dolphin

I was in between work situations, and seeking God for the next move for me. I decided to take a trip North along the east coast of Australia, where my home base stay for the trip was in Forster NSW, (a gorgeous place).  It was a 9 day trip in total.

I really wanted to spend time seeking God.

One evening I heard that there were dolphins in the inlet of Forster and to see them I would have to get up at the crack of dawn.  This I had planned, but the next day I was tired and decided to sleep in.

Later that day I was sitting on this huge open long stretch of beach, no where near the inlet.  There was no one in sight, just open water, with the ocean waves slightly lapping at the beginning of the sand.  I was talking to God and just enjoying the open ocean, fresh air, and time alone.

Guidance in Finding a New Home

I lived in Sydney in a 3 storey unit block, 3rd floor.

Prior to this place, I was living in a unit in a nearby suburb sharing with a girl from Church. I had the privilege of sharing with 3 flat mates in this unit over the course of 3 or 4 years. Many lessons, many laughs were lived in this home.

In this post I would like to share the guidance and interventions I had in getting the go ahead to move and where to move to.

I lived in the 1st unit of an Art deco block of 4. I was sharing with 'flatmate 3' at the time. I had wanted to move for a while but I wanted the time to end by God's determining, not mine. I very much felt I needed Gods OK to move on.

Some time later........